Concrete block groin or sea wall



June 30, 1931. c. T. LEEDS ETAL CONCRETEVBLOCK GROIN OR SEA WALL FiledJune l2, 1929 FIG.5.

INVENTORS I l I C. T. LEEDS W. K. BARNARD www BY ATTORNEYS whereinPatented June 3o, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE "CHARLES T. LEEDS ANDWVILFRED K. BARNARD, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA CONCRETE BLOCK GROIN ORsEn yWALL Application filed .Tune 12,

lThis invention relates to improvements in groinsor'sea walls.

An object of the invention'is to provide an'improved groinvconstruct-ion adapted to be erected upon sea beaches and the like toprevent or retard lateral washing'ory drifting of the sand and thusbuild up a sea beach :Which may beunder the process of being mum amountof expense and labor. 1 kf Another object of the invention is to pro-'vide a ygroin construction, composed of a series of concrete'blockslaid side by side in an inclinedposition and which are so constructedthat they will effectively be kept from overturning or displacement bywave vide a concrete block adaptedv to be used in constructing groi'ns,which is of cheap,

simple and durable construction, and which maybe easilyH handled andpositioned in place.

With 'the foregoing and other Objects in view, which will be mademanifest in the following detailedl descriptions, and specifically`'pointed o utin'theV appended claims, reference is Vhad to theaccompanying vdrawings for an f illustrative Y vembodiment of theinvention l Fig. 1' is a ysectional view through a sea '.-beachillustrating a groin embodying the invention after having beenV erectedthereon.

ijFig. 2 is a sectional view through the groin 'and may be considered ashaving been taken upon the line 244-2 upon Fig. 1. y

,FigyS is a top plan view of one of the blocks employed inf' erectingvthe improved groin.

Fig. 4 isa view in elevation, parts being broken away, illustrating therear 'side of the block shown in Fig. 3. f v

Fig. 5 is a view in sideelevation taken in Vthedirection ofthe arrow 5Hupon Fig. Referring' to gthe accompanying drawings y,whereinsimilarjre'ference characters designate' similar parts throughout, theimproved 1929. Serial No. 370,271.

groin is built of a plurality of concrete blocks, these blocks beingrectangular in plan, having relatively wide bases 10, and upwardlysloping and convergingsides 11. At their tops the sides may be arrangedvertically as indicated at 12, 'although this formation of the tops isimmaterial. The forward or outer face of each block is provided with aprojecting vertical rib 13 arranged at the center thereof, and on therear face of each blockl there is formed a complementary vgroove 14 forthe reception of the rib on an adjacent block. A suitable U-shaped steelbar 15 is imbedded in the top of a block and serves as a bail by whichthe block may be conveniently transported and handled. Additional bails,indicated at 16, are, or may be, imbedded in the sides of the block andin the rib 13 and 'have their projectingy portions disposedin i thebeach, such abutment being illustrated as a large specially formed blockof concrete, indicated at 17. The particular construction of thisinitial abutment or buttress is .immaterial and in some instances thefirst block of the series of blocks forming the groin can be restedagainst the rock formationA or high ground which may bepresent near thebeach. Vhatever structure is employed for the abutment or buttress ispreferably arranged above the high water mark. The various blocksforming the body of the groin are then laid rone against the. other 1ncontiguous relat1onship extending out into the ocean to a pointpreferably below the low water mark. In laying these blocks they arecaused to assume the inclined positions shown in Fig. 1, 'and while theinclination may vary'itis preferably such that the blocks may incline atan angle Ofbetween forty-five and sixty degrees to the vertical. Theblocks are laid one after the other from the shore end outwardly untilthe groin is completed. In laying the blocks the ribs 13 are caused toenter the grooves 14 onrthe next forward blocks so that' these ribspreventlate'ral relative. displacement.

After the blocks have been assembled in contiguous relationship, a baror cable, indicated at 18,Y may be threaded through the bails l5,extending longitudinally of the groin. This bar or cablevvill form aloose tie connecting the various blocks but still enablingthemato-settle independently of each other. Y

The blocks are allowed to remain lin this condition for a suitablelength of time during 'which they-Will 'settle lslightly finto the sand.After the settlinghasjoeen:completed7 a suitable concrete coping,`indicated at "19, is, or may be, poured .overthetopsofihe blocks bindingthem all together Yand causfing;tihe..enbireser=ieeeffleleeke 'weet asemene- .;lithie- ,Stnuetiire llliisieepng .meyheve rite sideeeX-tendeeldownwardly :evier the 'verti- .eaL-portonepl2 .ef the .sides A1l .endeer-ves te @Cremeren hexereieetingfperbiensfeflthe baile @Suitableereinfefei-ng feeds., indeeted. et 20eme-y beepesitfienetl in the@ceiling -19. and -eauleeelfte extenslfliengitudinellvherethieiigh-VV.'llheee eeinfereingrieede may 'be held in peeieteni end.- eenne.1tfed-V together by :Suitable ties f2.1,ewhiel1 may 'be' ,passed everthe .eableer .tie :eed-.1 8- At-theffeeme time-.the Mariellereeeeeeewliiehfareileftiexpesed and infwhiehthe lee-ile 1,6 areleeeteel. mayqbeeilled with e011- :.130 erete fee. thetwfthe.eetireetruetiine .presente e -neet and atteeetive appearance, :andrusting .-Qfetheeteel ie; inemented presents `van @inwardly .andrearwardly inelnedeiiter feuiziaee so that .Nieves .er surf i.Jareekingfentlie Sunfeeeawillmim .upwardly thereon instead of poundingthe blocks eaaineifeeeh ether- Whateverffencesare eX- Y:.erteelleystliewaves against lthe Outer endlef theigrein urge thefbleekeegeinst .eeehother .instead .ef ltendi-ngfte vseparate them. -Byv i-rtai-e the 4vfleet, :that the sides :of the .blocks upwardlyfand-)inwardlyfineliiied., waves breaking:egaixietfthesieleefefihe seeinWillA @e5 elewlupwerdlyienetlieeefinelineel sides and elle tendency :teererturilfthe sreiil leteielly eiereflee .ieeeh bleek :tebeieletivelylew thiieeeier- 1 turning. is @effectively fresieted-`fflhemnneeeigreie eenstriietieepievdes Y feriliexibilityin Settlement by-vietiie .of the f1-eet that eaeli bleelfreen settle 1i1.idenenfleiitlythe athene Y. .during felle v.settling per-iedellher-inneeenee ef:merengues .and grooves" -011 -,the bleeke rendete AY,tleegrzein Ysandmight .se llfe'hsandfeanwt bewahed .through 'between fthe bleeke-During-.the eettlingperied. and

Y ineheeeent thaetlie eeniegfie. Permanently,

,left Q.i, it wvillfhe netedethetfthle yiimnrme'cl seeinApresents-eseiiveteltepfee that meeverf'peiir'ef :wares breekngzever thegrain .will .zbefelleetively breken- .up- 'Y iByMietue @fthe ifaetftliat-.the blocks ,are

e5 .ehaneeiidheiieiupwerd- -Qtofsettle independentlyof others lalsoassists lin vprotecting theimproved groin against be-Y ing undermined. r`It Wilt-be noted thatlthe .crossfsectional shape ofeachblockcorresponds to the crosssectional shape of the finished groin so thatv.in erectingthe'groin it is merelynecessary to first prepare all of theblocks necessary and ,their leythein in peeitien Ione after the/.etherfrom the shore outward Zintothesea.

Erem the above described ,construction it .will be appreciated that an`v.improved lgroin constructionis providedl Which is simple and-Ywliiehmay heeeeilyfeiid quieklyfereelied with faimiiiimum :amount eflabor.

larious. Changes may Joe ma'del'lin the details of construction Withoutdeparting from .thespi-rit orirscopeofthe inventionas Qdefgned @by theappended claims.

Weclaim: g I Y, v 1- A grenier seamen-ll eemprising. ,a series .efeenerete bleeke .eentigueiislygpeetiened, Y,seid bleekeheing.upwardlyand .reerweiffllyA inclined-toward- 1the .,shore, ,and having- ,up- Y.warell-yenveiging-sides-'Y' v A4lt1Will-flee;notedrx hetathe enten-mestvbleek .-ef .Concrete blocks eontigueiisly peSitiQne/d,

.2. A greriie'faeee .'Walleeiiipiierlge .Series said blocksbeing-upwardly andrearwardly `iiieliiieel toward, lthe @here-having riband Iareeue eenneetieiis with .eeehethe reprelventylateral displacement,and having" upwardly eenvergng eldes.-

. 3- Aigreiii er Seefwell cempnisingeseriee of solid concretev blockscontiguously plosi- .teneflll seid, hleek'e .being .0.5. ,approximatelythe ee-me -Sliene enel height .and :extending from Substantially.iheiepnef the well telflie betteln thereof., 'eaeh .bleekpreeentingiglewnerellydiveigeet.Sigles.eiiilfleeingrezirwardly 4.A'groin or sea WallV oomprisingajseries ei ,Solid eenerete bleeks-eeiitigueilly Pos1- tiened, Seid Lbioeksbeing ^ei eipnreairiietely theseine ,Shape .end heighteiid extenflilig Werdly dvergentsifleeend being:rearwardly 5.- Aglein er. .Seewall .elempiieing es Series of solid...eenerete bleelisveeiitiguoiiely. positioned, said blocksbeingpfapproximately .theeame shape.' enel height ...and extending fromsubstantially lthetop. of the Wall gtoV the .,bgiaomehereef,.eelehibloek preeentnggdeevn- Wardly ,divergent,sidesenflbeingrearwardly guinea powa-'saalesmrehaileembedded in .ii-einseb-Staiitiellv.tle y.te-1e ethe Wall teilie .bettem ,thereeteeeh bleekpresenting .flownthe tops of the blocks and projecting therefrom, and acoping poured over the tops of the blocks enclosing the bails andjoining the blocks into a monolithic structure. 5 6. A groin or sea Wallcomprising a series f of solid concrete blocks contiguously positioned,said blocks being of approximately the same shape and height andextending from substantially the top of the Wall to the 10 bottomthereof, each block presenting downwardly divergent sides and beingrearwardly inclined toward the shore, hails embedded in the tops of theblocks and projecting therefrom, and a coping poured over the tops of 15the blocks enclosing the bails and oining the blocks into a. monolithicstructure, said coping having reinforcing rods extending through thehails.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification.

CHARLES T. LEEDS. WILFRED K. BARNARD.

